Various types of coated, flavored drinking straws are known. A coated, flavored drinking straw is typically used to impart a flavor to a beverage that is drunk through the coated straw. Coatings on a straw typically contain a flavor ingredient that can be applied in numerous fashions.
U.S. Patent Publication US 2003/0168772 (Sept. 11, 2003) provides a method of coating a straw by applying a flavor coating combined with hydrocolloid or starch solution as the straw is being extruded.
Most other methods occur post-manufacture (i.e., after the straw has been made). U.S. Pat. No. 1,996,203 (Apr. 2, 1935) provides a coated straw when the flavor substance is placed within the straw by pouring a flavored syrup or juice into the interior of a straw and letting it dry. U.S. Patent Publication U.S. 2004/0109932 (Jun. 10, 2004) provides a coated straw by melting the flavor ingredients and incorporating it into a solution consisting of a plasticizer, monoglyceride, and water. The solution is applied to the interior of the straw and dried to drive off water.
International Patent Publication WO 99/09871 (Mar. 4, 1999) uses an adhesive, which entraps flavor particles, which may be coated with an encapsulating agent; this composition is then coated on the exterior of the straw. As the adhesive melts or dissolves in an aqueous solution, the flavor particles are released. U.S. Pat. No. 4,816,268 (Mar. 28, 1989) uses a solution containing a flavor additive to coat the inside of a straw. The polarity or temperature of the solvent is then modified to crystallize the solution within the straw.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,283,294 (Sep. 4, 2001) provides a tube or straw that is coated with an oil and a bacteria suspension or an additive (e.g., vitamins, minerals, pharmaceutical compositions). The straw is coated with an oil (e.g., corn oil or wax) by (1) insertion of an elongated stick coated with the oil, (2) a tubular filling device, or (3) spraying the inside of the tube. The bacteria suspension or additive may be incorporated into the oil either before or after the oil is applied to the interior of the straw.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,109,538 (Aug. 29, 2000) provides a flavored straw, which contains screens on the inside of the straw and flavoring particles on and between the screens. The screens allow the liquid to pass through without physically releasing the flavor particles; as the liquid passes through the screen, however, the particles are dissolved and impart a flavor to the liquid. U.S. Patent Publication US 2003/0203075 (Oct. 30, 2003) provides an insert made of a paper or filter material within the interior of the straw; the insert is coated with, or contains, a flavor delivery system or solution, which is released as liquid passes through it. These processes may add considerable time and expense to creating a flavored straw.
Currently, however, there is no method or process for coating the inside of a manufactured straw which consists of only coating an adhering agent plus a food ingredient without any additional components and without having to first solubilize the two and without additional process steps, such as heating, hardening, or drying. Current methods involve either first solubilizing the ingredients to be coated, addition of additional ingredients to the food component and adhesive, a crystallization step, or a drying step.